Cosmos 482, a Soviet spacecraft launched in 1972 and originally intended to land on Venus, is expected to have re-entered Earth's atmosphere around May 10, 2025, after more than 50 years in orbit
. The exact time of reentry was estimated to be between late May 9 and early May 10, with various agencies predicting times roughly between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. ET on May 10
. Regarding where Cosmos 482 landed, the spacecraft was projected to reenter somewhere between 52 degrees north and 52 degrees south latitude, a vast zone covering much of the inhabited world including parts of North and South America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe
. This broad swath includes large oceanic areas, making an ocean landing likely. According to the Russian space agency Roscosmos, the reentry took place above the Indian Ocean, just west of Jakarta, Indonesia, suggesting the spacecraft landed safely in the ocean
. Other organizations had predicted possible landing sites ranging from the South American mainland to the eastern Pacific, but no conclusive determination on the exact impact point has been confirmed
. Due to its robust design intended to survive Venus's harsh atmosphere, parts of Cosmos 482 may have survived reentry, but the risk to people on the ground was considered very low, especially given the likely oceanic impact zone
. In summary:
- Cosmos 482 reentered Earth's atmosphere around early May 10, 2025.
- It likely landed somewhere between 52°N and 52°S latitude.
- The most probable landing site was over the Indian Ocean near Indonesia.
- The spacecraft was expected to mostly burn up, with some debris potentially surviving due to its sturdy construction.
- The risk to humans was minimal due to the probable ocean landing and low chance of impact on populated areas
